Cursor mundi (The cursur o the world). A Northumbrian poem of the XIVth century in four versions. Ed. by the Rev. Richard Morris ...

[The Author's Exhortation to his Fellow Men.]

Ye crestin men, you vmbilok, Line 23705 Al þat euir hafs herd þis bok, Of your lif þat ye her led Ye ne turne it noht into wansped! Quasum graiþeli wil vmþink, Line 23709 Þis werd es fals and ful of swink, Fals it es, als we se hu, And algat wil we þar on trow; Þis litil lif we haue in hand [folio 9a:1] And wenis ai to be lastand, Line 23714 Þe ded ai wen we for to drille, Bot þat dos al vr spending spille. Þan blindis vs a litil wel, Þat we ne can noht vs seluin fel, Line 23718 Of þat dom cast we mai wit chance Line 23721 Of þis werld to gete couerance, And com to werdis welþe again, A quil to hald wit mikel pain; Line 23724 Bot þar we find anoþir strif, Þat waites naþing bot vr lif. Dede hauis vs wtset vr stret, Nil we, wil we, he sal me[t], Line 23728 Al sal we rinin in his rap, We wate þat þar mai li na schap. Euir he waites vs, þat fede, Es naþing certainer þan dede, Line 23732 Ne vncertainer þan es þe tide, Forþi we ach ai bon habide; To pass þe pase þat es sa harde, Line 23735 Ne we ne wat noht quiderwarde. We sal siþin heþin wend, Bot if we her haf mad vs frend, Wit criste þat we wit lite to lend, We mai be dreri for þe fend. Line 23740 For-þi þis lif he hauis ws lent, To serf him wit al vr tent, Line 23742 To trauail ordanit es þis lif, Line 23745 Ogain vr fedis þrin we strife, Vr fleys, þis werd, and þe warlaw, We er bundin undir þair aw. Þe fleis es ai to flihtis fus, Þe werd estful and couaitus, Line 23750 Þe warlaw, swernes, wreþe, and prid, Þir werras vs on ilka side. Þir iij mai þan we wel for-drife, If we leli wel led vr life, Line 23754 For mai felle þan man and wife, Þat stalworþli gain þaim wil strife. If we stiþeli wil vs ster, [folio 9a:2] Cristis help sal be vs ner, Line 23758 His helpis and vr wihtis eke, If we wil bleþeli him bisek. Forsoþe if we wil do vr pain, Þaim haf na miht vs stand ogain, If we wil not on þaim vr miht, Line 23763 Certis þai er feld in fiht; Eie es for to winne wit heere, Þe turne þat nan es bute to were, Hardilik es he cuard, Line 23767 Þat nankin part mai þol of hard Þat yeldis him þar he be soht, And tinis sa him-selfe for noht. Al swa es fel of vs in dred, Line 23773 Þat bedis þaim bifor þe nede Vnto þair wiþerwin wit pliht, Wit-outin ani fand to fiht; Bot ai to fal es redi bun, Line 23777 Qua herd a caitiur craþun, Þat wil noht bed to gif a spurn? Bot fals dun bifor þe turn Line 23780

Line 23780 Þat vr fleis vs ledis tille, Line 23781 Of al vr wal þat es vr wille, And þoh we wat þat it es ille, We fin noht it to ful-fille. Allas! þat for a litil lust, Line 23785 A drewri þat es bot a dust, We thrall vs til vr ful fa In prisun for to life in wa! Of swilk er mani now and ma, Line 23789 Allas! allas! qui do we swa? Qui sel we vs vnto þat soru, Þat nankin boruh vs fra mai borw? And wrechis wit vr wil forsakis, Þat selines þat neuir slakis. Line 23794 Baþe of þat soru and of þat sel I wen ik haf yow said sum-del. Quat þair to fand, to tel þe soþe, Baþe me wantis tung and toþe; Line 23798 Þe broidin blis to cristis dere, [folio 9b:1] Þe bale þat him forsakis here, We haf us forwit waies twa, Þe tan to wel þe toþer to wa. Line 23802 Queþir we wil, [[MS. has wil frel]] freli mai ga, Als til vr frend or til vr fa. Bot if we þan forsak vr frend, And ches us til vr fa to wend, Line 23806 Þan dar I sai, and leies noht, A sorful tim þan war we wroht; Bot god forbed þat we it proue, Þat sorful tim til vr bihoue. Line 23809 Quen we it proue þan es to late, Es tar na mending þan of state, Es tar na wai bifor vs rid, Cun tak vs bettir þan we did. Line 23814 For qua ne dos quen he mai, Quen he wald men sal nik him nai, Her es þe tim al for to grete, Line 23817 Her es þe tim ur sinnes bete, Ouþer her or nauþer ellis, Þat witnes vs al hali spelles. Ilke dai we se sumun Line 23821 For to graiþe and mak vs bun, Þat ilke dai we se and here, We ah it noht to hald in were. Þe spellers finis noht to spelle, Line 23825 Þe soþe þaim spar vs noht to tel, For to vs do be war wit hel;— Þam sped noht worþe a not-scel. Seldin cum we sarmun ner, Line 23829 Laþe vs þink it for to her, Þe er þar to seldin we lai, Bot fer it es vr hert awai; For said it es gan mani raþe, Line 23833 Laþe es to her þat man es laþe, Quarfor of þaim lat we sa ille, Bot for þai spek ogain vr wille. He þat me sais al þat me likes, Line 23837 God it witte mast he me swikes, For if we self vs undirstod, [folio 9b:2] Vr wil vs dos wel litel god, Bot of vr skil vs mas blind, Line 23841 Quen we can fand þat sal we find. Find we sal, lest quen we wen, Al sal we to þe ded biden. Wi qui þan mak we vs sa ken, Line 23845 Of þis es al þat I me men, Mikel wald I men and mote, Wist I þat it me war bote, Ai to spel and noht to sped, Line 23849 Waast it es of godis sed. Il worþe it es to til þe fild, Þat noht ogain þe sed mai yeld; Line 23852

Line 23852 Quat botes ai of rihte to rede, Line 23853 Þat neuir fundin es in dede. Mikel her and litel hald, Bot war a ribaudi vs tald, Of a fantum or a fabil, Line 23857 Þat suld we hald in hert stabil, In her to hald it als an hord, Quen noht es mad of cristis hord. Hu mai he be himseluin hold Line 23861 Þat chesis him þe led for go[l]d. Al þat writin es in writ Wroht it es to lerin vs witte, Hu we hach to led vr lif, Line 23865 Cristin folk, baþe man and wif, In eldern men vr mirur se Quat for to folu, quat for to fle, Þe þingis þat we self ne can Line 23869 For to frain at oþer man, He þat can mar þan anoþer, Debonerlik to teche his broþer; Al er we briþer, yong and ald, Line 23873 For vs was baþe crist boht and sald, He hauis ous in his number tald, Al his schepe of his awen fald, Line 23876 Þuru hirds þat þe lauerd has set, Þat he wil þat his folk be get. He hauis vs chosin for vr med, [folio 10a:1] His hali folk al for to fed; Line 23880 Omang þat hirdis am ik an, Þar to hauis cristis grace me tan, Sua wreche vnworþi wat I nan, Loued be he lauerd of al his lan. A besand he me taht to sette Line 23885 Þat ik him ald to yeld wit dette, Þarfor ah I me for to pain To yed him wit biate ogain, Line 23888 Al bihouis vs yeld ilkan, Line 23889 Acunte efter þat we haf tan; Sum for mar and sum for les, Eftir þat vr giftes es, Line 23892 Þat tat besand root noht in hord, Þat ach be spend in werk and word. Her ik haf a litil spend, In word eftir þat ik entend, Line 23896 Miht I mare, god wat mi mod, Ik ach it for to spend in god, In his worschip, þat miht meke, And mari mild his modir eke. Line 23900 Hir louing acht I neuir blin, To quilis mi lif me lastis in, Lif and sawel I yeld hir til, Þar of leuedi sco don hir wil. Line 23904 Of hir worschip þat I mai mare, I sal tel of sum oþer quare, Quen I mai cum to bettir space, After sco sendis me hir grace. Line 23908 Leuedi! lok to þis caitif clerk, Forsak þu noht þis stubil werk, For þoh it royd and stubil be, It in worsip wroht to þe. Line 23912 I prai þe leuedi þu wald þe sem, To tak þis litil werk to quem, Swilk als it es, forsak it noht, To þin bihoue þan was it wroht; To þi seruis and to my pru, Line 23917 Þat seruis te wel yeldis tu, Þat ik kan noht serue in ded, [folio 10a:2] Mi wil ic hop þou wil me med. For med ik ask a litil bon Line 23921 Þat ik biseke wit wordis quon, Gif me grace hir quil ik hon Mi sin to bet þa ik haf don. Line 23924

Line 23924 If ik eft fal on ani wis, Line 23925 Raþeli do me for to ris, Þi sunis dede to monin ai; And on min awen last dai, Line 23928 Þat nu es mi hop be þan mi hald, Ogain þat brem þat es sa bald! Þi lem vs leuedi! liht emel, Þat he moht hafe-les ga til hel, And led me wit þe for þi son Line 23933 For euer mar wit him to won. Line 23934 Þis ilk praier leuedi! þu her, For þa þat er me lefe and der, And for al cristin folk alswa, Line 23937 Baþe quik and ded, frend and fa, Þou do þaim haf þi sonis grace To leuin bifor his leueli face. Al þat þis bok or heris or redis, Line 23943 Leuedi! þaim help in al þairnedis. Amen.